


inhale. inhale. there's heaven.

by melbopo



Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types
Genre: All the characters are background except for Magnus and Alec, Alternate Universe - College/University, Background Relationships, Background ships include Clary/Izzy and Jace/Meliorn and Simon/Maia, I'm sorry I'll give them more love one day, M/M, Meet-Cute, Pre-Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood, Recreational Drug Use, Shotgunning, That's why I rated it Mature, This is just soft and about getting high
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-08
Updated: 2017-05-08
Packaged: 2018-10-29 07:54:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,823
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10849701
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/melbopo/pseuds/melbopo
Summary: Now Alec isn't sure if the warm, floating feeling in his stomach is cause he's contact high or just from feeling truly comfortable with his friends, but he does know for a fact that he's never been as attracted to someone as he is to Magnus.





	inhale. inhale. there's heaven.

**Author's Note:**

> this fic is happy belated birthday to my love leo (@harrysbumjr) ❤️❤️❤️ it's based off a couple of convos we had about magnus and weed like... 5+ months ago (WOW)!! 
> 
> -happiest of birthday wishes leo!!! i'm wishing you nothing but the very best for the year ahead! may it be filled with great new opportunities, laughter, softness, and gayness -so, so much gayness! i am forever grateful to have met you and for all of our ridiculous late night antics and impressive snap streak. i hope this fic makes you smile like our original convo did for me - i love you!!
> 
> ps. yes i kno the song lyrics are actually not what the title of this fic but it fit so well!

Crossing over the threshold into the sunroom, the muscles in Alec’s shoulders relax immediately at the sight of Jace whispering with his partner Meliorn on one of those long, adjustable back lawn chairs: confirmation of Izzy’s promise. Izzy should have just mentioned that Meliorn was going to be there as well so Alec didn't have to panic about being the only graduate student at an undergraduate study/homework session. Jace is flaky about anything related to academic work that isn’t directly related to his research project but whenever his partner is present, Jace is about 78% more likely to be there as well. Hearing the slight confusion in Izzy’s voice as she greets both Jace and Meliorn, Alec assumes that Meliorn was a pleasant surprise for her too. Alec nods his own greeting to the couple as he deposits himself in a vacant one person wicker patio chair. He glances around the rest of the sunroom to see what exactly he has gotten himself into.

Simon mumbles a distracted hello, avidly focusing on the words coming from Maia’s mouth as she points out something on the notebook open in their lap, dozens of papers spread out on the small wicker loveseat around them. Maia registers Simon’s greeting a beat later, waving in Alec and Izzy’s general direction but not even pausing to look up from what seems to be a sheet covered in numbers with the occasional squiggles to Alec’s un mathematically trained eye. Izzy makes a face at whatever Maia is saying as she passes behind the loveseat quickly, as if by speed alone she can avoid whatever mathematical concept Maia and Simon are trying to parse out. Alec watches Izzy crawl over the side armrest furthest to sit on the couch behind where Clary is parked on the floor. Clary looks up from the sketchpad in her lap when her back support moves slightly, her smile grows as Izzy leans over her for a quick Spiderman worthy kiss which gives Alec pause. He glances around at everyone in the sunroom for a second time, “Izzy, how’d I let you talk me into being the seventh wheel at this study date?”

Clary chuckles as she leans her head back on the couch and in the v of Izzy’s crossed legs. Izzy shrugs as she takes her organic chemistry textbook out of her backpack before running her hand through Clary’s hair absent mindedly, “hey, I didn’t know Meliorn was also coming...” Clary is quick to chime in, “also! You’re not a seventh wheel - Magnus is also here... somewhere...”

Right, Magnus - Clary’s roommate. Alec’s mind immediately flips through all the facts he’s learned second hand about Magnus from his sister since since he’s never actually met him. This means Alec’s fact repertoire ranges from Magnus’s messy break up at the beginning of the academic year when his long time girlfriend tried to pass off his master’s research as her own to how he was able to do the unimaginable: instill a knowledge and love for orgo in Izzy as her TA last spring. Magnus is also something like a legend at their university for his brilliance in chemistry and amazing parties.

As if summoned by Clary’s words, a new voice calls from the doorway to the sunroom, “anyone wanna take a little smoke study break?” Alec turns his head to the side to see to the source, finally putting a face to the name. Though none of the stories he heard from Izzy (or around campus) prepared him for the sight of the most beautiful man he’s ever seen, right in front of him. Alec’s eyes slowly trace from the man’s tight black pants to his loose dark purple silk button up to the layers of thin gold necklaces to his beautiful pink lips framed by a soft looking goatee to his perfectly spiked raven black hair before settling back on his mischievous brown eyes outlined by black eyeliner. He smirks playfully as their eyes meet.

“Oh, you must be Alexander the great that I’ve heard so much about.” Magnus remarks before pointedly raking his eyes down and back up Alec as he makes his way around Alec’s seat to the long wicker couch. Alec blushes at both the attention and the obvious call out at the fact that his lingering gaze did not go unnoticed. Magnus sits on the end of the couch closest to Alec, sparing him a second glance before depositing items from his hands onto the wicker coffee table in front of him.

Alec’s never felt so genuinely attracted to a person in his whole life and to be honest, the feeling is a little overwhelming, making his thoughts seem slow to formulate as he scrambles to come up with some sort of appropriate response. “Yeah...” he replies with a voice that sounds embarrassingly breathy and already far too smitten for his liking. He tries to recover some semblance of cool to clarify, “well not the man… I mean not the historical figure.”

Magnus doesn’t seem phased at all by Alec’s stumbling response, mostly focused on filling the bowl of a small dinosaur shaped glass pipe with weed from a silver grinder on the table. The action causing Alec’s eyes to be drawn to the different rings that decorate Magnus’s fingers, glinting in the afternoon sun. Magnus chuckles as he adds, “but the man that enjoys _studying_ historical figures, right?” He looks over as he asks, his expression genuinely curious and Alec melts a little more as he nods his head yes. “We always seem to just miss each other - I’m Magnus.”

“Yeah I’ve heard about you from Izzy - nice to finally meet you.” Alec says much calmer than he feels, half distracted as he watches Magnus’s fingers finishes the task at hand. He winks at Alec as he brings his dinosaur shaped bowl towards his lips, “pleasure is all mine”, he says before lighting it and inhaling once, twice, three times before it catches. Alec watches with rapt fascination, all of his attention on Magnus’s adam’s apple as he inhales deeply once the bowl is lit.

Magnus exhales a steady stream of smoke before turning to Alec, offering the bowl and the lighter. That’s when Alec’s brain catches up with the moment and what’s happening. Without a second thought he blurts out, “aren’t you like a chem prodigy or something?”

Magnus grins openly at Alec’s question, “yeah so? Are high functioning adults not allowed to wanna relax too?”

Alec can’t even think of a good response to cover up his random question that'd been on his mind but came rudely out from the surprise of seeing someone smoke weed so openly in front of him, regardless of its legality. Izzy saves the moment and him from the other edge of the couch, “Alec doesn’t smoke - too goody two shoes for ‘the devil’s weed’.”

Alec rolls his eyes at Izzy’s comment. He can practically hear their mom’s voice in his head, going on about one of her many lectures about the misfortune that would come their way if they ever were to even see ‘the devil’s weed’. “I’m sorry some of us followed mom’s rules.”

Jace appears next to Alec, leaning over his armrest to pluck the lighter and bowl from Magnus’s hand. “Rules are meant to be broken Alec.”

Before Alec can even begin to list the reasons why that is so obviously not true, Magnus interrupts his thoughts. “Alec, you don’t have to smoke if you don’t want to -no judgement. But do you mind if we smoke around you?”

“No it’s fine -go ahead.” Alec says with a shrug, touched but confused that Magnus even asked considering it’s not his place. And it’s not that Alec has a problem with weed or people smoking it, he just doesn’t cause he doesn’t want to cough everywhere the first time he tries and make a fool of himself. In his head, the logic makes perfect sense.

That’s how the group spends the next couple of hours, smoking occasionally, doing homework occasionally, but mostly swapping ridiculous university stories. Meliorn and Magnus seem to have a well stocked arsenal of embarrassing stories about other undergrads from their many semesters as TAs for core classes that Alec’s cheeks hurt from smiling so damn much, a foreign feeling for him. The laughter spills easily from his mouth and he feels safe and at ease and like there is no where else in the world he rather be.

He hears Meliorn organizing pizza preferences so he can place an order in for dinner but Alec offers no help, distracted by how Maia is holding Simon’s chin in her palm across the room as she slowly breathes the smoke out from her hit into his mouth. Alec’s slight contact high from simply being in the same smoky room as everyone else helps diminish some amount of his nerves as he leans over his armrest to gently put his hand on Magnus’s forearm, taking in the feeling of Magnus’s skin warm and smooth under Alec’s cool fingertips. “Yes Alexander?” Magnus asks, voice scratchy and a little deeper from laughing too hard on a smoky inhale that caused a brief coughing fit.

Alec looks up slowly from his quiet admiration of the strength coiled in Magnus’s forearms to Magnus’s playful, flirty smile. Alec knows in his gut that they’ve been flirting this whole time, little jokes and lingering glances here and there that fill Alec with desire and joy because attraction has never felt this _easy_ for him. He nods with his head to the loveseat, “I wanna try that.”

“Shotgunning?” Magnus asks after a quick glance to Simon and Maia still trading smoke and cuddled on the couch. Alec nods, looking down at his hand on Magnus’s and blushing slightly as he takes it back. “I figure it’s less likely I’m going to mess up lighting the thing that way and look like an idiot…” He looks back up just in time to catch Magnus throw his head back with laughter, making Alec smile in response. It’s a noise he wants to hear again and again.

“Yeah that’s probably true.” Magnus agrees once his laughter has died down. He raises an eyebrow at Alec, pointing at him before back at himself. “Are you going to come closer or do you want me to come to you?”

Alec’s chair is one of those big old fashioned wicker chairs that has plenty of space and propelled by the idea of Magnus being physically closer, Alec doesn’t even think twice as he says, “you come here.”

Magnus chuckles to himself as he mutters, “course pretty boy”, as he stands. Alec absolutely does not beam at the stupid nickname. He sits up in the chair until his back is against the back of the chair with his arms stretched out along the armrests. Magnus pauses in front of the chair for a moment, just looking at Alec like he’s trying to solve some complicated chemical reaction equation which makes Alec smile shyly. Apparently it’s the right solution for Magnus uses that as his cue to kneel onto the chair with Alec, his knees against the back of the chair with his thighs bracketing Alec’s as he ~~practically~~ straddles him in this kneeling position. Alec realizes immediately that they are two fully grown adults sharing a one person chair which makes it much more intimate than he originally intended. Suddenly, Alec notices the gold sparkles in Magnus’s eye makeup and he finds himself no longer minding their close proximity all that much.

Magnus leans a little back and out of Alec’s space to try to grab the bowl from Izzy on the couch when somebody bumps into their chair (accidentally? sure Jace…) and Magnus falls forward onto Alec, using his hand on the back of the chair to brace himself, with Alec’s hands automatically going to Magnus’s thighs to steady him. Magnus grins reassuringly down at Alec, their faces only a short distance away. Suddenly the world feels reduced to just the two of them in this small space but in a good way, like every one and thing outside their little bubble is no longer relevant. Magnus must feel it too for he whispers, “you know you don’t have to smoke if you don’t want to.”

“I know.” Alec replies simply, unsure how to explain that he’s always wanted to try weed but has never felt like he was in a place that he could and that he wants this moment with Magnus if he wants it too. Well, he wants more than just this moment -he wants many, many, many moments with Magnus but that still feels too big for their small bubble in the world right now so he says the next true thing that comes to mind, “I trust you.”

It’s a little bit more than Alec intended to reveal but it feels good and honest and true when the words leave his mouth. He watches Magnus’s eyes soften and his smile broaden, solidifying Alec’s believe that it was the right thing to say. “Okay.” Someone places something in Magnus’s free hand, bringing both of them back to the task at hand.

“So shotgunning is really simple -all you have to do is inhale when I exhale, sound good?” Alec nods his understanding, eyes locked with Magnus watching as he inhales, slowly expanding his chest causing the necklaces to glitter in the dim setting light of the sunroom. The orange and the pinks in the fading sunlight cast a soft light around Magnus, making him look angelic in his rich purple shirt with sparkling gold jewelry and the bronze undertones of his warm tawny skin glowing. The site takes his breathe away for a moment, distracting his rather sober self from his one simple task.

Magnus starts laughing the moment he realizes that Alec isn’t breathing in and Alec can feel that noise in the gentle quake of Magnus’s thighs from where his hands are still grasped. “You heard me correctly, right? You inhale when I exhale?”

Alec grins despite the laughter being at his own idiocy, Magnus’s laughter is contagious and Alec is pretty deep in this whole crush thing already. “Sorry, you distracted me.”

That makes Magnus laugh again as he shakes his head to himself, mumbling something about sabotage. He sobers for a moment to make eye contact with Alec again, silently asking if he is ready this time. Alec nods his head as Magnus inhales again. This time Alec is fully paying attention. He lifts his chin up slightly to be more inline with Magnus’s lips as he leans down just slightly to exhale, more of a distance between them than Maia and Simon but still close enough than the warm smoke on Alec’s lips alight his whole body as he inhales slowly. Once the smoke hits the back of his throat, it tickles and he lasts a second more before he ends up coughing, unfamiliar with the rough feelings in his lungs.

Magnus pulls away to pick up Alec’s water bottle from the ground next to the chair to pass it to him. Alec releases his hold on Magnus to take a big sip of water to ease the scratchy feeling in his throat. He closes the water bottle, “one more time?” Magnus nods as he relights the bowl, leaning back into Alec’s space as he exhales again, so close that Alec can almost count Magnus’s eyelashes as he inhales, still coughing at the foreign feeling in this throat but quick to chase the smoke with more water.

The moment Magnus climbs off of Alec’s lap, he misses his body heat almost immediately. He feels really good in the moment, both for trying something he’s always wanted to try and for flirting shamelessly with a man he is genuinely attracted to. It doesn’t sound like much but to Alec those are two big steps that he doesn’t allow himself to do very often. Even if Magnus doesn’t reciprocate his feelings, he still feels relief for trying at the very, very least and gives him optimism for his future romantically.

A hand on his brings Alec back to sunroom at Clary and Magnus’s apartment, out of his own warm thoughts and into the moment. Alec looks down at the gold rings on the hand in his then up to their beautiful owner, Magnus, who is back in his seat on the corner of the couch next to Alec’s stand alone seat. 

“I trust you too.” Magnus says softly, his smile as warm and bright as Alec feels. Now Alec isn’t too sure what exactly that means for them but he does know that for the rest of the night, Magnus doesn’t let go of their intertwined fingers and that, that feels like a promise, full of hope and the start of something more.

**Author's Note:**

> [While weed is legal in the state the crew is attending university in this fic, did you know that in the united states minorities are 4x (&in some states higher!) more likely to be arrested for possessing small amounts of marijuana than white people despite the percentage of use being equal? Check out this link to the ACLU's page for more details on these racially biased arrests &consider donating! ](https://www.aclu.org/feature/war-marijuana-black-and-white)
> 
>  
> 
> got any feedback or wanna talk to me more about college!au malec/clizzy/jimon/jeliorn/saia?? let me know in the comments or reblog the fic's post on tumblr [here @mel-iorn!](https://mel-iorn.tumblr.com/post/160428161821/inhale-inhale-theres-heaven-a-28k-meet-cute)


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